It is about keeping note of their quality of life. Are they suffering? Are they still showing positive emotional reactions to the people around them? Are they still attempting to be a part of the “pack”? These are all things that should factor in to whether or not you think your pet is merely aging or dying.

At the age of three my son was insistent that he have his own pet. My husband and I talked long and hard about the pros and cons of a childhood pet. Would our son be capable, at three, of handling the daily responsibilities? Would he be ok when it died or ran away? Would we be ok covering for his age-appropriate lack of responsibility? Overall, we agreed that if we chose the right animal that it would be a positive experience. We decided on a fish.

Dogs are creatures of habit; and once they develop a habit, breaking it can be a long, frustrating process. Your dog needs guidance and encouragement from you to develop a toilet habit you can live with. Animal behaviorists have learned a lot about dogs over the last couple of decades, and there are many tips available that will make housebreaking your dog or puppy a less frustrating task.

One of the cutest looking dogs around is the Lhasa Apso. The puppies especially are just irresistible but before one decides to purchase a Lhasa just because the kids are begging for one, there are some things that should be known about this particular breed. Historically, Lhasa Apsos were kept by the monasteries and nobility in Tibet as indoor watch dogs.

Every year, tens of thousands of healthy dogs are uselessly euthanized because they don’t have homes. They may have been neglected, gotten lost, or run away. Hopefully they are picked up by the local shelter, but unless they are adopted, they are sadly put to sleep.

The first problem that new pet owners face is generally the issue of food. What should we buy and what should we stay away from? Introducing a young dog to the world of food should be a very delicate process. Owners should carefully monitor how much food is given to the new pet versus how much they are eating. We should be stringent about how quickly we increase the amount of food because we always run the risk of overfeeding.